Landscape equipment thief admits guilt

NORRISTOWN – A Pottstown man has admitted to taking part in a scheme to steal landscaping equipment, valued at more than $30,000, from numerous tri-county area businesses while “dope sick” and in need of heroin.

Jason Michael Davis, 38, of the 900 block of North Hanover Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 1½ to three years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of theft by unlawful taking, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity and conspiracy to commit theft in connection with the theft spree that targeted businesses in Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties between May and June 2013.

Judge Steven T. O’Neill, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Davis to complete three years’ probation after he’s paroled from prison, meaning Davis will be under court supervision for six years.

Advertisement

“He was depriving the victims of their property and their ability to make money during a very busy season from them. It affected over 34 different businesses and over 50 pieces of equipment,” alleged Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Abidiwan-Lupo, who sought jail time against Davis. “Jail time was essential in a case like this because of the scope of the thefts, the number of victims and the thousands of dollars of loss to these victims.”

Authorities alleged the crime spree was fueled by drug addiction. In a statement to police, Davis, who was represented by defense lawyer Michael Gottlieb, claimed he and his friend, Daniel John Vieldhouse, committed the thefts “due to being dope sick and in need of heroin,” according to the criminal complaint filed by Limerick Detective Ernie Morris.

The thieves would trade the stolen equipment for cash at area pawn shops in order to obtain money for drugs, authorities alleged.

The judge ordered Davis to share with Vieldhouse, 29, of the 600 block of Willow Street, Pottstown, in the payment of $31,007 in restitution to the businesses that were victimized during the burglary spree. Davis and Vieldhouse, who is still awaiting trial on theft-related charges, allegedly were the masterminds behind the crime spree.

A third man, Donald Erris Hill, 28, of the 1000 block of South Keim Street, Pottstown, who allegedly assisted the thieves during the scheme, is also still awaiting trial on theft-related charges, according to court records.

Court documents indicate the thefts occurred in the following areas: Pottstown, Pennsburg, Red Hill, Trappe, Schwenksville, Collegeville, West Conshohocken, Conshohocken, Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, Douglass (Mont.), Upper Providence, Lower Providence, Plymouth, Lower Merion, and East Norriton in Montgomery County; Phoenixville, East Coventry, East Whiteland, East Vincent, East Pikeland, Uwchlan, Easttown, and Spring City in Chester County; and in Boyertown and Amity in Berks County.

An investigation began in May 2013 when Limerick police received several reports of thefts involving landscaping equipment from businesses.

“The thefts all were similar in nature involving landscaping equipment being stolen off the back of landscape trailers or out of the bed of landscape pick-up trucks,” Morris alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding the equipment included common landscaping tools such as weed whackers and leaf blowers. “The equipment was stolen as landscapers were working on job sites and their equipment was sitting off to the side waiting to be used.”

According to police, Vieldhouse and Davis were former employees of several landscape companies in the area.

“We started to just do one to two pieces of landscaping equipment here and there. Then we knew how much we could get from it. It was on and we went off,” Davis allegedly told investigators.

During an interview by police, Vieldhouse allegedly admitted to stealing between 50 and 100 pieces of equipment from 30 to 40 different locations, according to an arrest affidavit.

Vieldhouse allegedly admitted to being high during the thefts and that he had no recollection of some of the thefts ever taking place.

Vieldhouse allegedly admitted that he did most of the arguing with pawn shop clerks about the value of the equipment when the thieves attempted to trade the items for cash.

“Negotiating is fun. I got a kick out of it,” Vieldhouse allegedly told investigators, according to the arrest affidavit.